This invention is concerned with a machine for lasting side portions of shoes.
Conventionally such machines comprise a shoe support for supporting a shoe comprising an upper on a last and an insole on the last bottom, together with two side lasting instrumentalities arranged one at each side of the shoe support. In operation, the side lasting instrumentalities are moved to engage the side portions of the shoe and complete the side lasting operations simultaneously, or substantially so. Such side lasting instrumentalities are of relatively complicated construction, bearing in mind the need which is frequently recognised to draw the upper tightly to the last prior to securing the lasting marginal portions of the upper to corresponding marginal portions of the insole on the last bottom.
In many instances, however, after the toe end and heel seat of a shoe have both been lasted, so that the upper is already tightly drawn over the last, especially in a direction extending lengthwise of the last, but also transversely thereof, the side lasting requirement is merely to lay the upper over the insole edge without any significant drafting of the upper other than is sufficient to ensure that no creases or significant "bagging" result in the finished shoe. For such an operation, it will be appreciated, side lasting machines of the complicated construction currently available are not usually required.
Furthermore, even in a so-called heel seat and side lasting machine, which is arranged for operations on shoes which have already been toe-lasted, once the upper has been correctly located on the upper for the heel seat lasting operation, again in many instances the need for the relatively complicated construction of side lasting instrumentalities currently available does not arise.